MOLINE – It wasn’t easy, but Mendota managed to survive its opening-round game of the Rock Island Alleman Class 2A Regional Baseball Tournament with a dramatic 5-4, nine-inning victory over Erie-Prophetstown on May 17 at the Alleman Sports Complex in Moline.

Sam Becker’s one-out, line drive single to center field scored Joel Escatel from second base with the game-winning run in a contest that took two hours and 48 minutes to complete.

The game was tied at 2-2 when Mendota plated an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth to grab a 3-2 lead with just three outs to get. However, the Trojans couldn’t close the deal as Erie-Prophetstown not only tied the game in the top of the seventh, but took a 4-3 lead.

Now with the Trojans down to their final three outs, they managed to scrape across the tying run to send the game to extra innings. Andres Castaneda singled, moved to second on an error and advanced to third on a passed ball. Escatel then lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Castaneda with the tying run.

Each team went scoreless in the eighth, and then Bryson Prusator retired the Panthers in order in the top of the ninth to set the stage for Mendota’s game-winner in the bottom of the ninth.

Prusator got the win for Mendota, needing just 10 pitches to retire the three E-P batters he faced. He struck out one.

Ben Bokus started on the hill and pitched one out into the seventh before being lifted for Becker. Becker retired one batter and then Bokus came back to allow a hit and record an out to finish off the seventh. Becker pitched the scoreless eighth and then Prusator set the side down in order in the ninth. Bokus allowed eight hits, four earned runs, walked three and struck out nine.

Bokus, Prusator and John Buchanan had two singles apiece for the Trojans, with Prusator driving in a run. Owen Wixom also had a single and an RBI. Mendota finished with 10 hits.